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BEIDOU-3 M26
Chinese Navigation Satellite (BeiDou-3) · CNSA / China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
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BeiDou-3 M26, part of China's global navigation constellation completed in 2020 — the culmination of a program China built after a 1990s missile test near Taiwan reportedly lost GPS guidance, convincing Chinese military planners never to depend on a foreign-controlled satellite system again. This satellite contributes China's determined, well-funded push to complete BeiDou-3's full 30-satellite global constellation, achieved in June 2020 at a pace considerably faster than GPS, GLONASS, or Galileo each took to reach comparable strength.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Medium Earth Orbita high vantage point, ideal for navigation
- Altitude
- 13,379–13,383 mi (21,532–21,539 km)
- Inclination
- 55.8°
- One orbit
- 12.9 hours1.9 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 58655
- Int’l designator
- 2023-207B
- Launched
- 2023
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
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